Indicating instrument



Spt. 4, 1928.

H. SCHLAICH INDICATING INSTRUMENT Filed March 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7% P INVENTOR of LTTORNEYS Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,103

H. SCHLAICH INDICATING INSTRUMENT Filed March 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY S Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

HERMAN SCHLAICH, LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

INDIGATING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed March 4, 1924. Serial No. 696,813.

This invention relates to indicating instruments and is particularly, although not ex clusively, useful in connection with thermometers of the type in which an indlcatmg portion, adapted to show present and maximum temperatures, is located either near to or at'some distance from the object or place whose temperature is being taken.

' I It is the general object of the invention to simplify the construction of the various parts of the indicating instrument, to the end that there may be provided a rugged 1nstrument capable of being manufactured at low cost.

The invention will be understood from the following description taken in connect on with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment thereof is described and illustrated.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 1s a front elevation of the indicating portion of an instrument embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation thru the instrument shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a front elevation of the instrument, wlth the crystal, its supporting frame and the maximum hand removed, and with a portion of the dial broken away to show the mechanism behind it.

Referring to the drawings, the various parts of the indicating portion of the n strument are shown as mountedin a casing 5 having a circular portion 6 and a recess 7 communicating with said circular portlon from the lower edge thereof up to about the center thereof, as clearly shown in the drawings. Extending downwardly from the bot tom of the casing 5, either vertically or at an angle as shown, is a-neck having an opening 10 therein communicating wlth the bottom of the recess 7.

Within the recess 7 is mounted the actuating portion of the instrument which may be of any suitable form, and the details of which form no part of the present invention. The particular mechanism shown, 1s practically the same as that shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No, 618,158, filed February 9th, 1923. Briefly stated, this mechanismcomprises an arbor 13 provided with a flange orcollar 14 whlch is held in frictional engagement with washers 16 interposed between said collar and back of the casing 5, by means of a plate 1'? as which engages the outside of the collar .14;

spindle 13 carries a plate 15 which is rigidly by a screw plug 21 located in the outside end of the recess in the frame 5 into which the spindle 13 projects. At its forward end, the

attached to said spindle; and projecting axially from said spindle is a pin 23 which serves as a pivot for the hub 24: of a pointer 26. Projecting forwardly from the plate 15, 1s a post 28 to which is attached the outer end of a Bourdon tube 30 which at its inner end is connected to the outer end of a' compensating coil 32 the inner end of which is attached to the hub 24. With this construction, the hub 24 is held against longitudinal movement on the pin 23 by theBourdon tube and compensating coil, thereby making end thrust bearings unnecessary. The outer end of the Bourdon tube 30 is connected in a well known manner to a capillary or fine bore tube 34: which passes outof the casing 5 thru the neck 9, and is connectedfto a bulb 36 which is filled or partially'fille'd' with some fluid, such as alcohol, which has a high coeflicient of expansion under temperature changes.

The tube 34:, outside of the casing 5, is preferably covered with a protecting tube 38 of suitable material which at its inner end is secured to the end of an arm 39 projecting downwardly from the plate17. In Order to provide a tight joint where the tube 38 enters the casing 5, there may be attached to the outside of the tube 38 a plug 40 of the form shown in Figure2, which at its inner end is provided with a flanged head 41 adapted to engage a shoulder in the passage 10, andat its outer end is threaded so as to receive a nut 43 which engages the outer 100 end of the neck 9 and drawsthe flanged head 41 of the block 410 into snug engagement with the shoulder in the cavity 10. Behind the pointer 26, and in cooperative relation thereto, is a dial 15 which is adapted to lie 10a against the back ofthe circular portion 6 of the casing 5, and is secured in a certain angular position therein by means of pins 47 which pro ect from the back of the casing 55 and coapefjate 'yvithv the but-tam in! i of the dial/i5 Designed for cooperation with the circular portion 6 of the casing 5 is a face-plate 48 in which is provided a window which extends over considerably more than half of the areaof said face-plate. The

form of this face-plate is best shown in'Figures 1 and 2, from which it will be apdrical inner wall of the portion 6 of the casing, and atiits inneredge engages the dial '45, and holds the latter firmly in -place., The

pane of glass 52which extends over .the

window in the frame 48, is preferably held' in place bybent-in portions 54 in the flange 50 of the face plate, a frame 55 of metal anda gasket 56 of some yielding material beingjinterposed between the bent-in portions 54 and the glass 52. jRot'atably mount-' edtin the lower portion of the face-plate 48, isa button 56" which is preferably pro-' vided with a knurled head to facilitate its manual rotation. This button 7 56 is rotatable in the face plate 48, and is ,frictionally held in any position.to whiclritimaybe turned '1) means of a spring washer 58 which Surroun s the shank of the button" 56 inside the face plate 48 and is held in engagement withthe inside of-the face plate in any suitable manner, lThe button 56, the axis of which is in alignment with the pin 23 upon which the hub of the pointer .26 is rotatably mounted,ois provided atits inner end with a band 60 which is of substantially the same length as the pointer 26, and cooperates with the scale on;;the dial 45. The pointer; 26 is provided with-a bent-up portion62 which extends outwardly into the path of the hand 60 and engages the latter on one side,where by movementgof; the pointer 26 in the directionof higher indications on the dial 45' will cause movement of the hand 60 to indicate maximum readings of the instrument.- It will be "understood that the frictional .resistance to rotation of the button 56 in the face-plate 48 is made so slight that movement of the hand 60 takes place without materially'a-ifecting-the accuracy .of the read ing-represented by the pointer 26.- As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the face-plate 48 is secured to the casing 5 by means of screws 64 which screw into ,the casingu 5 and are provided with heads which engage the faceplate48. A r W he ease with which the'various partsof the instrument above described may be as sembled, is obvious. The parts carried by the spindle 13 are first secured to the casing bythe screws 19; The dial 45 is then slipped -iiito'? place behind the pointer 26. The as sembling operation is then completed by put-.

tiagon thence-plate 48, carryin the window"'glass 52ahd the hand; 60,"t e screws "'64 being used to-holdthe face-plate in place.

(ialibration of instrument may be accomplished in any well-known manner, with the aid of a screw driver by which the spindie-13 maybe rotatedso as to adjust the position of the pointer 26 with reference to the scale on the dial plate45. a

r The means for calibrating the indicating mechanism is not claimed herein but is claimed in my pending application vSerial No. 514,196ior instruments, filed November WhatIclai'mis:

1. In an instrument, acasing, an indicatingmechanism mounted therein having a pointer movingowithin said casing, .adial 7 mounted ,in cooperative relation to said pointer, a faceplate. removably secured to said casing 2 and provided with a window thru which the *dialand pointer are visible,

a handfor recording maximum indications of'said pointer pivotally mounted on said face-plate and arranged to be moved by said pointer and means projecting through the face plate to the front thereof for movin the maximum hand into engagementwit the pointer. a .2. In an instrument, a casing,.an indicatinglmeehanism mounted therein having a POIIItQI pivotally mounted iormov'ement within said casing, a dial mounted in 500-. operative relation tosaidipointer, a faceplate removably secured to said casingand provided with a windowthru' which the dial and pointer arevisible, a hand for recording maximum indications of said pointer pivotally mounted on said face-plate below the window therein, means. whereby said pointer and hand cooperate to cause movement of the hand byithe pointerin the directioh of the higher indications, and manually oper able means for moving said hand into'engagement with the pointer.

3. In an instrument, aqcasin'g havingna circular portion and'a recess communicating withsaid circular portion from" the lower edge thereof :up to about theicenter thereof,

i an indicating mechanism mounted in said recess and having a a: pointer. moving. within said circular portion of thevcasingabove said recess, a dial mounted behind said pointer in the circular portion of said casing, Him plate removably secured to said casing and provided witha window thru which 'thefdial lli and pointer are visible, at hand for recording 7 the maximum indications ofwsaidpointer pivotally mounted-on said taice plate below the window therein and adapted to be moved by said pointer, and manually' operable means for moving said hand into engage ment' with'the pointer, I V

4. In an instrument a easing, said casinga face pla e removably secured to' said casing and provided with a window' 'thru which the dial is visible and havin an integral flan'ge fitting the interior of the casing andarranged to engage a dial in of said dial and retain the latter in place, and means for positively securing the face plate in fixed relation to the casing and dial.

5. In an instrument, a casing, a face-plate adapted to be secured to said casing and comprising a front portion having therein an opening extending over more than half the area of said face-plate, an indicating mechanism mounted in said casing and having a pointer visible thru said opening, a hand pivotally mounted on said face-plate below said opening therein on an axis in line With the axis of said pointer, and manually operable means on the front of said face plate for moving said hand into engagement with the pointer.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

HERMAN SCHLAICH. 

